Two-in-One Review: Viz Publications Part Two Don and Randy continue to sift through some of Viz Comics' recent offerings. Don: Earlier this week, Randy and I looked at a couple of Viz graphic novels that we both just loved... and that's saying something, given that we really don't have manga leanings when it comics to our comics reading. Phoenix and Uzumaki were imaginative, mature and just plain great comics. This time around, though, we look at some books that don't boast the same strength, at least, not in my estimation. Randy: Well, one of my surprise favorites from the last batch makes another appearance in this one, and I did find things to like in each of these volumes, but yes, these were a bit of a comedown after the heights of Phoenix and Uzumaki. Still, these books feature some of the big names in terms of properties and creators, and as always, we appreciate Viz sending them to us for review. Dragonball Volume 8 by Akira Toriyama Don: The Red Ribbon Army has had enough of Son Goku's interference in its quest for the seven Dragon Balls, so the most dangerous assassin in the world, Taopaipai, is hired to eliminate the diminutive warrior. The assassin's power may be even more than Son Goku can contend with, and the only answer to victory lies at the top of an impossibly tall tower in a native village. Randy: I found some definite similarities with the last volume of Dragonball here, but I still think Dragonball is one of the best answers for martial arts movies on paper to be found in manga. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that Jeff (Way of the Rat) Johnson had studied manga like Dragonball to capture the feeling of martial action that his artwork boasts. Toriyama's work here is full of clear and exciting storytelling, and his character designs are very distinctive. In fact, I even found some of the cutesy elements that usually seem a bit sugary in manga to be a lot of fun; in particular, the catlike form of the Hermit Master was quite enjoyable, reminding me of the mixture of sage wisdom and cuteness that made Yoda (of the Star Wars franchise) so beloved. Don: This story is thoroughly simple in tone, and to Toriyama's credit, it's quite accessible as well, despite the fact that this is the eighth in the series. I can see why Dragonball appeals to younger readers -- it's all action and no substance. Every plot point serves a single purpose: to set up yet another ridiculously long fight scene. Mind you, I get the appeal of larger-than-life action, and despite the laughable nature of most of the characters, there's a nice sense of humor at play in the book as well. I think the inherent problem with Dragon Ball -- and its sequel, Dragonball Z -- is that every fight has to top the last one in some way. The creator keeps trying to one-up himself, and in that effort to go over the top, he falls off the edge on the other side, so to speak. The characters' limits are fleeting ones. Anything is possible as a result, and if nothing is impossible, there's no challenge for the characters, and no suspense for the reader. Randy: I'll agree that there is a danger of repetition in Dragonball, and that it serves as a strength as well as a weakness as far as attracting younger readers. However, I find that the idea of someone training to overcome obstacles and being willing to go the distance and do impossible things to help friends is a positive message, and although the fights in the book are often to the death, Toriyama keeps things fairly light and often humorous in tone. This is a great read for kids, but I think that there's enough humor and cartoonish antics to keep adults involved as well, even if the plots aren't exactly on the level of Tolstoy. Neon Genesis Evangelion Volume 6 by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto Don: Giant monsters dubbed "Angels" are attacking mankind, and a defense program has been developed to combat the creatures. A small cluster of robot suits called Evangelions, piloted by teenagers, is the answer to the problem, and the time has come for NERV, the organization in charge of the program, to select a new young pilot. Meanwhile, the teens at the core of the program try to live some semblance of normal lives, while NERV develops a backup protocol should the pilots prove unreliable. Randy: Honestly, I was a little worried when I found the recap text on the back cover to be a little too dense and impenetrable, and I feared I was in for a confusing read. Happily, Sadamoto does a very good job of fleshing out the characters with limited space, and writes some terrific interaction between teens. Unrequited crushes, boys being unable to read girls and vice versa and the nature of friendship, which is often obvious from the outside but not so clear when people are trying to guard their real feelings, are all explored in these pages. There are also giant robots fighting, of course. Don: Of the three books we're reviewing here, this is the one with the strongest characterization. I found I got to know Shinji, Toji and the other characters surprisingly well. Despite the outrageous circumstances in which their find themselves, they come off as regular teens, with regular problems. Honestly, I think the book would be much stronger if it focused on this teen angst/coming-of-age riff and cast off the giant-robot genre altogether. It was the down-to-earth human factor that made this an interesting read. The latter part of the book spotlight the giant-robot side of the equation, and I quickly lost interest in the property. The action is incredibly difficult to follow. Whereas the art earlier in the book was easy to follow, it suddenly becomes inky and impenetrable. I couldn't tell what was going on at all. The nature of the Angels isn't made clear, and neither is what the Eva suits are capable of. Sadamoto lost me with that part of the book, though the ending was touchingly tragic. Randy: I'm in agreement with you that the action is really difficult to follow in the latter half of the book, but I disagree that the giant robot angle should be cast off entirely. Seeing these ordinary teens faced with some extraordinary pressures and circumstances is part of what made the book more than just a goofy teen comedy, and as you note, the ending does pack a powerful tragic wallop. I also have to admit to finding the logo design for NERV to be appropriately creepy and intriguing, an unusually spiritual motto for a government organization to have. But certainly some stronger and clearer designs for the Eva suits (such as the ones to be found in the colorful action figures that I have seen of Neon Genesis) would help the storytelling considerably. X/1999 Rhapsody Volume 7 by Clamp Don: The world is about to reach a turning point, and whether or not it's an apocalypse or a rebirth lies in the hands of a young man named Kamui. Possessed of strong but undeveloped psychic powers, he has the ability to shape the destiny of the world, and opposing forces in the coming battle of the Dragons of Heaven and Earth both want him on their side. Kamui has just witnessed the death of his aunt, the result of her apparent birthing of a huge sword. And his friends, Fuma and Kotori, prove to be much more than they appear to be as well. Randy: I actually went to see X at a local arthouse theatre a few years back with a friend, when the other movie we were going to see (Six-String Samurai, maybe?) was sold out. I remember my reaction being that there were some cool fight sequences and animation, but that I couldn't wrap my head at all around the plot, and some of the dialogue reached almost comically bad levels. The good news is that X/1999 Volume 7 was enough like X the anime that I remembered most of what was going on and the context... the bad news is that it still didn't make a lot of sense to me. Don, were you in the same boat? Don: Though the art is detailed, fluid and almost hypnotic at times, I had no idea what was going on. Clamp emphasizes style over storytelling, making for some confusing -- though imaginative -- visuals. The nature of the plot, incorporating psychic symbolism and dream, makes for some confusing transitions as well. Adding to the confusion is the fact that several key characters look far too much alike. Randy: Which seems to be a common thing in the manga I've read, as the androgynous look of the characters makes them hard to tell apart. And you're right that the dream sequences, not to mention the symbolism in the rooms drenched in blood or the energies swirling around the characters, makes the artwork beautiful but often downright impossible to read. There are some neat ideas at the core of X/1999, but the execution of the story embraces the surreal elements of the plot without giving us anything solid to hold onto. Don: The story boasts a strong tone of spirituality, and the book opens on an intense note, grabbing the reader's attention. Mind you, the script doesn't go far enough to fill new readers in on what's going on. Kotori's seeming catatonia doesn't make any sense, and it's unclear if any actual conflict takes place between Fuma and Kamui. Though Clamp piqued my curiosity, I was left scratching my head the whole way through this book. For more information on Viz Comics, visit www.viz.com. And be sure to return to The Fourth Rail on Tuesday for more Viz reviews. 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